Helmets for contact sports football, etc. and other helmet used activities such as biking, motorcycle riding, NASCAR driving typically includes a hard outer and inner pad assembly along with to an interior surface of the shell. Face guard protection and a chin protector or strap that can be removed from the head gear if necessary. Traditional sports helmets may include different designs corrugations formed in the helmet shell with numerous openings in the shell. These openings can include openings for attachment accessories such as faceguard, chin strap and internal padding system. The opening can also include apertures to improve ventilation while the helmet is being worn.
In traditional helmets shapes, sizes and locations of these openings are designed to minimize any structural weakness in the shell that may result from removing material from the shell to form these openings. The various ribs, ridges and corrugations found in conventional sports helmets often function to increase shell stiffness, especially in the region of the shell that includes these features. The performance of the helmet is complicated by the inclusion of the combination of multiple shell opening and ribs, ridges and or corrugations.
Features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed descriptions and accompanying drawings.